It is often desired to separate mixtures of components into its constituents. One method, called liquidsolid chromatography, results in the separation of components of a sample in a liquid solvent through the movement of the solvent over a solid, typically housed within an enclosed pathway called a column. The sample is injected into the moving solvent before the solvent enters the column. The components of the sample travel at different rates through the solid depending on their affinities with the liquid/solid phases.
Liquid chromatography systems generally include a pump for pumping a solvent through the column. The liquid sample/solvent mixture exiting the column is often collected as a series of samples, called fractions, over a period of time by a fraction collector. Alternatively, or in addition, the constituents solvent/sample mixture from the column can be continuously monitored, such as through the use of an ultraviolet monitor.
One of the problems with conventional chromatography equipment is that it is generally assembled as a number of discrete components which are plumbed together according the particular requirements of the user. Control of the various chromatography system components has been through the use of computerized chromatography controllers which control various functions, such as solvent flow rate, valve operation, sample injection, gradient formation (that is, the mixture of two or more solvents at different proportions over time), and so forth. Although many of these controllers have been quite flexible, this flexibility has been at the expense of simplicity and ease of use.
What has been missing from the prior art is a liquid chromatography system which is designed to act in a coordinated manner emphasizing ease of use with simple, functional displays.